Just In Time: When the Trucks Stop, America Will Stop

Just In Time: When the Trucks Stop, America Will Stop (With Immediate and Catastrophic Consequences)

Most Americans take for granted the intricate systems that make it possible for us to engage in seemingly mundane day to day tasks like filling up our gas tanks, loading up our shopping carts at the local grocery store, obtaining necessary medications, and even pouring ourselves a clean glass of water.

When we wake up each morning we just expect that all of these things will work today the same way they worked yesterday. Very few have considered the complexity involved in the underlying infrastructure that keeps goods, services and commerce in America flowing. Fewer still have ever spent the time to contemplate the fragility of these systems or the consequences on food, water, health care, the financial system, and the economy if they are interrupted.

A report prepared for legislators and business leaders by the American Trucking Associations highlights just how critical our just-in-time inventory and delivery systems are, and assesses the impact on the general population in the event of an emergency or incident of national significance that disrupts the truck transportation systems which are responsible for carrying some ten billion tons of commodities and supplies across the United States each year.

A shut down of truck operations as a result of elevated threat levels, terrorist attacks, or pandemics would, according to the report, have “a swift and devastating impact on the food, healthcare, transportation, waste removal, retail, manufacturing, and financial sectors.”

So too would events such as an EMP attack or a coordinated cyber-attack that could shut down global positioning systems and the computers responsible for inventory control. Another potential scenario that is more likely now than ever before is liquidity problems within the financial system stemming from currency crisis or hyperinflation. All of our just-in-time delivery systems are built upon the unhindered transfer of money and credit, but when credit flow becomes restricted or money becomes worthless, no one will be able to pay for their goods. Likewise, no one will trust the credit worthiness of anyone else. This is exactly the scenario playing out in Greece right now and the consequences on the health care industry in that country have left many without life saving drugs. When there’s no money, no one will be transporting anything.

The effects of a transportation shutdown for any reason would be immediate (in some cases, within hours) and absolutely catastrophic.

Excerpted from the American Truckers Associations report

Food

Significant shortages will occur in as little as three days, especially for perishable items following a national emergency and a ban on truck traffic.
Consumer fear and panic will exacerbate shortages. News of a truck stoppage—whether on the local level, state or regional level, or nationwide—will spur hoarding and drastic increases in consumer purchases of essential goods. Shortages will materialize quickly and could lead to civil unrest. (We’re seeing this in the UK right now)
Water

Supplies of clean drinking water will run dry in two to four weeks. For safety and security reasons, most water supply plants maintain a larger inventory of supplies than the typical business. However, the amount of chemical storage varies significantly and is site specific. According to the Chlorine Institute, most water treatment facilities receive chlorine in cylinders that are delivered by motor carriers. On average, trucks deliver purification chemicals to water supply plants every seven to 14 days. Without these chemicals, water cannot be purified and made safe for drinking.

Health Care

Without truck transportation, patient care within the truck stoppage zone will be immediately jeopardized. According to Cook, many hospitals have moved to a just-in-time inventory system. In fact, some work from a low-unit-of-measure system. This means that essential basic supplies, such as syringes and catheters, are not ordered until the supplies are depleted. These systems depend on trucks to deliver needed supplies within hours of order placement. Internal redistribution of supplies in hospitals could forestall a crisis for a short time; however, in a matter of hours, hospitals would be unable to supply critical patient care.

If an incident of national significance produces mass injuries, truck transportation is the key to delivering urgently needed medical supplies necessary to save lives.

Hospitals and nursing homes will exhaust food supplies in as little as 24 hours

Pharmacy stocks of prescription drugs will be depleted quickly. According to the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, most of the nation’s 55,000 drug stores receive daily merchandise deliveries by truck.

Transportation

Service station fuel supplies will start to run out in just one to two days. An average service station requires a delivery every 2.4 days. Based on these statistics, the busiest service stations could run out of fuel within hours of a truck stoppage, with the remaining stations following within one to two days
Air, rail and maritime transportation will be disrupted.

A fuel shortage will create secondary effects. Without access to automobile travel, people will be unable to get to work causing labor shortages and increased economic damage. Without cars, many people cannot access grocery stores, banks, doctors, and other daily needs. Public bus systems will cease to operate as well, preventing many disabled and elderly people from accessing these necessities. Without fuel, police, fire, rescue and other public service vehicles will be paralyzed, further jeopardizing public safety.

Waste Removal

Within days of a truck stoppage, Americans will be literally buried in garbage with serious health and environmental consequences. Further, without fuel deliveries, many waste processing facilities will be unable to operate equipment such as backhoes and incinerators.

Uncollected and deteriorating waste products create rich breeding grounds for microorganisms, insects, and other vermin. Hazardous materials and medical waste will introduce toxins as well as infectious diseases into living environments. Urban areas will, of course, be significantly impacted within just a couple of days.

Retail / Manufacturing / Economy

Replenishment of goods will be disrupted. Many of the nation’s leading retailers rely on just-in-time delivery to keep inventory levels as low as possible. Similar to the low-unit-of-measure hospital inventory system, these stores rely on frequent deliveries to replenish basic goods. Often, delivery of a shipment is not triggered until the current inventory is nearly depleted.

Without truck deliveries, retailers will be unable to restock goods, including consumer basics such as bottled water, canned goods, and paper products.

Consumer behavior during emergencies triples the rate of inventory turn-over.Since many large retail outlets typically keep inventories as lean as possible, problems often arise quickly during truck transportation slowdowns that occur from crises such as hurricanes.

Just-in-time manufacturers will shut down assembly lines within hours. Major American manufacturers, ranging from computer manufacturers such as Dell and Compaq to major automakers such as GM and Ford, rely on just-in-time manufacturing. Without truck deliveries, component shortages and manufacturing delays will develop within hours

Financial Sector

ATM and branch bank cash resources will be exhausted quicky. In today’s fastpaced, high-technology economy, consumers access cash 24/7 from 370,000 ATMs nationwide. JP Morgan Chase, the nation’s second largest consumer bank, replenishes its 6,600 ATMs via armored truck delivery every two to three days. Given the increase in ATM activity that occurs before and after any type of crisis, ATMs would run out of cash much sooner.

Small and medium-size businesses will lose access to cash.

Regular bank functions will cease.

While an event that disrupts truck transportation systems may be unlikely, recent history suggests it is fully plausible and the blowback can be devastating. A day after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, panicked government officials stopped all transportation flow into the region, forcing hundreds of trucks loaded with emergency supplies like food and water to wait for permission before they could enter the area. As a result, thousands of residents of the city were left without items essential for survival. It took days before truck routes were re-opened and supplies were allowed to flow. Government officials acting on limited information, lack of knowledge and personal politics were responsible for restricting the flow of goods into New Orleans, potentially killing hundreds of people in the process.

What this incident demonstrated is that when the trucks in America stop, all commerce and delivery stops with it.

Now consider what may happen if the emergency is more widespread, affecting not just a city, but the population of an entire region or the United States in its entirety.

A good plan.
Trucks stop. Large Americans will shift into fat-burning mode.
Will get so ripped and muscular from bulking up on empty calories for decades
that everyone will look like Arnold, and Rachel McClish

Charter member-Busted Box Club est. 2006

"I will adhere to the Patriot Act, the one signed in 1776"- Marc Anderson

Well I hope the hell Rachel is stuck in front of my house, when her truck stops rolling.
Interesting article Black Blade..
Not too worried about the gas prices. Hell we, or some of us, can just do less driving.
It is those damn diesel prices that worries me.
Diesel goes up $$ everything delivered by truck has too go up and diesel is rising fast.
Prices have too rise in the stores to cover the cost. Inflation.

"Man needs but two things to survive alone in the woods. A blow up female doll and his trusty old AK-47" - Thomas Jefferson 1781

bb
I think most people don't value/respect what OTR trucks & operators do for N.A..It seems most veiw them as a nuisance on the road, even as our very life depends on them . I've spent a good bit of time working around different Ports in this country LA,miami,Galviston, savanna ,N.Y.etc. Amazing how much truck traffic in & out. Trains too Run on Deisel... Cargo ships diesel... farm Equipment diesel...Hell two days ago Off road diesel was 4$ /gal and I had to sign an affidavit saying it was for my farm Equipment WTF really ? I know Its going to cost me "alot " more to maintain my farm ... Which means I'll produce less quantity and charge more for products ... O yea and my RE.taxes went up 30% too ... I see trouble in the future for sure .
Diesel prices soared during desert #1 came down a little, then back up during desert#2 and Have been climbing ever since ...do you think the military uses any diesel ?!?
Ak9

Got that right, almost everything is delivered by truck. Doesn't matter if it travels across the country, from the local railyard or port, 90%+ of products gets to it's final destination on a truck.
If you have something, it was most likely delivered on a truck.

"Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem" Ronald Reagan

Been seeing a good bit less traffic here in the city. A lot easier to get back and forth to work. $3.87/Gal here in Houston now. Desiel $4.22/Gal! It cost almost $50 to fill up my 4 banger Pickup last week. Its beginning to sting a bit.

OH BOY, can't hardly wait to fill up the 71 Rivieria boat tail, cost me 150 to fill that bad boy, counting the 2-3 gallons of Blue Streak per tankfull I spike it with, and that was at last years prices. Now that STINGS, at maybe 12 mpg if I play nice with the gas peddle, and I do play. Awfull hard not to though with >400hp, just to DAMN much fun not to "get on it" once and awhile!!!! Then all bets are off with MPG!!! 2 runs on the 1/4 mile =1/8 tank of gas!!!! Or more. A fifty $ fill up don't sound so bad now, does it Musibike??

one of the big problems is the government has set up the indicators for the economy ass-backwards.

if fuel goes up, the economy MUST BE BOOMING! if food prices skyrocket? that is the sign of a booming economy, all the government looks at is how much money is spent --NOT what your getting for your money.

that is how this charade of the economic "boom" has kept going all these years.

if the government built an airplane with that same logic --the fuel tank would show FULL when it is really EMPTY!

we are all being duped by the government and mass media , the only thig keeping things going as well as they are is the US economy is like a really big hot air bag-- it is going down slowly and since it is so big it takes a long time for all the hot air to rush out.

the reverse is also true --it is going to take a lot of hot air to inflate this huge leaky air bag!

ak9

No I respect the truck drivers. Pretty professional down here in Florida they are.
Just talked too a guy in town, long hauler.
"The brokers are giving us some help with the fuel, but we are absorbing a lot of the cost."
Think? he said two 170 gal. tanks..
This can not keep going..
The pros seem too be getting out of the business.
They can make more at Mickey Ds.
Why the hell is diesel costing more, thought it was easier too refine?
Something is wrong here.
Either way, we are paying at the store..

"Man needs but two things to survive alone in the woods. A blow up female doll and his trusty old AK-47" - Thomas Jefferson 1781

No I respect the truck drivers. Pretty professional down here in Florida they are.
Just talked too a guy in town, long hauler.
"The brokers are giving us some help with the fuel, but we are absorbing a lot of the cost."
Think? he said two 170 gal. tanks..
This can not keep going..
The pros seem too be getting out of the business.
They can make more at Mickey Ds.
Why the hell is diesel costing more, thought it was easier too refine?
Something is wrong here.
Either way, we are paying at the store..

Diesel used to be cheaper than gasoline to refine. Not anymore. The EPA mandated 5 ppm sulfur standards kicked in a few years back and that required retooling at the refineries and more refining to get below the 5 ppm standard. You can thank BJ Clintoon and friends for that. Now diesel costs more because of the more complicated processes and expense involved. The EPA has become the worst enemy of American businesses, American Homeowners and American consumers. The EPA should be abolished. You can thank Richard Nixon for that one.

When you're born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America , you get a front row seat. - George Carlin